


Outtakes

by officialfoxsquadron



Series: fox 'verse [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Honeymoon, Marriage, Multi, Past Drug Use, Sobriety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-21 16:45:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11361474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialfoxsquadron/pseuds/officialfoxsquadron
Summary: Bits and bobs of the Fox!verse that don't really fit in anywhere else.





	1. The Rain Song-Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> As I start work on the fourth part of the Fox!verse main series, I'm finding myself writing or digging up little odds and ends from the other three chapters that just didn't quite make the cut. What follows will be that collection. This will hop around time and place, but always be specified. It'll hop around genres too-fluff, angst, whatever I feel like, really. Some will be multi-chapter short stories, others drabbles and one shots. Tags, warnings, and additional characters will be added as I add more chapters. I hope you enjoy!  
> For those of you who just stumbled upon this; please start [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3796810/chapters/8454679) to figure out what the hell is going on.  
> Although the Star Wars universe itself is not mine, my original characters, expanded canon, Coruscanti/Lower and original worlds are my own and my intellectual property. Taking inspiration or blatantly taking elements without my explicit permission is stealing.

_**4 ABY; THE DISCIPLE; IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENTS OF PILEDRIVER WALTZ** _

__

* * *

Lottie loved feeling clean.

There was just something about it; especially the feeling after, wrapped in a warm towel and her hands that odd sort of damp-yet-not from the sonics. She had lived her life surrounded by people, the fresher was one of the only places she could be alone.

Her mind was swimming with thoughts as she sat on the only chair in the bedroom of the  _ Disciple.  _ She stared at herself in the mirror. She mused briefly that this was probably where all her various insecurities came from-she looked positively horrible with makeup dripping down her face, the black color giving her undereyes a sunken quality. Her hair after a sonic was always stringy and damp. She sighed and began to scrub the makeup off of her face, settling into her nightly routine.

It had barely been two hours since she and Luke had departed to leave to the island. It had somehow felt like days. So much was changing, and so fast. She hadn’t felt this way since she had left Alderaan and was thrown into the Rebel Alliance, barely able to speak Basic, much less speak at all. Of course, she was happier now, but that too, was a foreign feeling. She considered herself a cheerful person in general, but her own life had been melancholy at best, pathetic at worst. To have something this good happen to her, in fact, several good things, felt undeniably wrong. She was happy, she reminded herself. Undeniably so. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was running away from the galaxy and when she returned, she wouldn’t recognize it.

Her eyebrows lifted at a soft knock at the bedroom door. “Come in,” she called, removing the wet cloth from her eye.

“We should be there in about ten hours,” Luke said, closing the door behind him. “Just enough to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Good. I’m going to need one,” Lottie said, smiling up at him. “What did you tell the others?”

“The truth. You needed to take care of some business and needed my help.”

Lottie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “ _ Hardly  _ the truth,” she pointed out. “We can’t even tell people where we’re going. This is probably the most suspicious thing we’ve done, and I literally took you to sell drugs with me once.”

“A charming date.”

“I’d say so.”

“Do they give out marriage licenses on the mainland?” Luke asked.

“They should,” Lottie said. “I mean, they have a judge and stuff. Are you sure you’d want it from there though? I mean, the planet isn’t even on the grid. We could stop on one of the more inhabited systems on the way.”

“No, that’s alright,” Luke said. “I mean, I doubt any other planets would have us married under Imperial law without arresting us both on sight.”

Lottie chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.” She sighed, throwing her used wipe in the trash. “I guess we could just say we stopped at this random, weird-ass system to get married.”

Luke sighed, sitting next to her. “What are we gonna do?”

“What do you mean?”

“About everyone. Wedge, Jax, Leia-I know my sister isn’t going to be extremely happy that I just up and married you in the middle of all this.”

“Why?” Lottie said, scrunching her nose. “I mean, Leia likes me, right?”

“Yeah, of course she does, it’s just-well, I did just kill probably the two most important people in the Empire.”

“Congratulations,” Lottie deadpanned.

“Thank you,” Luke said, equally tongue-in-cheek. “But I don’t really want to be answering questions about it right now. But Leia wants to ask them.”

“I know the feeling,” Lottie said, nodding. “No one would shut the fuck up about me escaping the  _ Executor _ . It felt like interrogation all over again. Anyway, I’m glad we’re getting married just to escape your sister and my superiors,” Lottie said playfully.

“Lottie!” Luke protested. “You know that’s not why.”

“I’m only joking,” she said again, her voice turning serious. “Marriage, well, it’s very important on Coruscant. You marry for life, unless you really just can’t make it work or you’re abused. Divorces are very rare, even in arranged marriages. So I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t serious about this.”

“Tell me more about Coruscant,” Luke said, taking her hand in his. “You so rarely talk about it.”

“Well, it makes me sad to talk about it, really,” Lottie admitted, staring at his hand rubbing circles at the top of her wrist. “I miss it so much, the people mostly. Everyone there was happy, loving-I was my parents’ child but I was raised by so many. People like to focus on the bad things but,” she sighed, getting a faraway look in her eyes, “You know, I never even saw the sun until I was twelve years old.”

“I know,” Luke said, giving her a smile. “You told me that the night we met.”

“Oh, right,” Lottie replied, laughing awkwardly. “I almost forgot. It was a very long time ago.”

“Not really.”

“Well, for me, it was,” Lottie said, a slightly wistful tone to it. Five years to her was a long time-Todd had once told her she wouldn’t live to see eighteen.

“You know, marriage is really important on Tatooine, too,” Luke began, changing the subject back, his words almost sounding prepared. “Actually, I have something to give you. That has to do with marriage, that is.”

“Oh?” Lottie said, raising an eyebrow as Luke crossed the room to his luggage, looking through a smaller backpacks. She swiveled her chair to face him. “On Coruscant, the present is usually just, ya know, the other person,” she teased.

“Close your eyes,” he said, motioning for her turn around in her chair.

“Oh, alright,” she mock-groaned, shutting her eyes and covering them with her hands. “They’re closed,” she called out in a singsong voice.

“Good,” Luke replied, Lottie noticing the voice coming from just behind her. “Now help me hold up your hair. But don’t open your eyes.”

“Demanding, aren’t you?” Lottie teased, obliging as her hands wrapped themselves up in her hair, holding it up in a makeshift ponytail. Her mind went briefly to the towel wrapped loosely around her body.  _ The chair should hold it up,  _ she thought briefly.  _ And besides, even if it doesn’t, it’s not anything he hasn’t seen anyways.  _ She nearly started at the sudden cold feeling around her neck, accompanied by the warmth of Luke’s hands fidgeting with something at her neck. It was unmistakably some sort of metal, what exactly, beyond a necklace, she couldn’t place with touch alone.

“Alright, go on and open your eyes.”

Lottie opened to see a pendant draped gracefully around her neck, Luke’s hands resting on her shoulders as they both stared at the mirror. The chain itself was a silver color, Lottie running her hand through the delicate chain. She had to lift up the chain itself to see the pendant, hidden behind the towel. It was a carefully cut gem of glass, shining a brilliant ocean blue.

“Luke, it’s beautiful,” she whispered, looking up at him. “Where did you get something like this?”

“It was my aunt’s,” he explained. “On Tatooine, the night before you get married, you give your spouse something made of glass-doesn’t really matter  _ what,  _ just something-it’s meant to bring luck. My uncle never had money, but he had this made for my aunt before they got married.”

“How did you get it?”

“I found it. When we went back to my house. I knew then-well, I’ve known for a while, but-I knew I had a reason to give it to you.”

Lottie smiled, giving Luke a quick kiss before turning to admire it in the mirror again.

“Thank you,” she said. “I don’t have anything to give you.”

“That’s alright,” Luke said, resting his chin on her head. “I didn’t expect you to.”

Somehow, the cool glass of the necklace made her mind race. The smoothness of the stone between her fingers against the roughness of her own fingertips, worn from use and cuts and tattoos, grounded her in an undeniable reality.

_ This is real. I am real. I am actually going to get married and go on a honeymoon and come back to a galaxy that isn’t in shambles. _

“Luke, do you think we’re making the right decision?” she asked after a moment. “I mean, I know that we need to get married quickly, there’s still a war, but-what about after that? If we actually win this? What happens then?”

“Then we win,” Luke said confidently, running his hands down her arms as he planted a kiss on her neck, Lottie closing her eyes as she melted into his embrace. “And we get a nice house somewhere far away from all of this, and settle down and live a quiet life.”

“I’m scared,” Lottie said quietly.

“Of what? Of the future? Of the war?”

“All of it,” Lottie admitted.

“Whatever happens, we’re a team. We’ve always been a team, right?”

“Yeah,” Lottie agreed.

“And we’ve faced everything together. Overdoses, death, prison, terrible fathers-I doubt marriage will be that big of a deal.”

Lottie laughed as Luke kissed the side of her head, suddenly reassured. He was absolutely right. Compared to everything else in her life, marriage was tame.

* * *

 

Lottie awoke later that night to a soft brushing of fingers against her breastbone, right along her scar. She hummed at the pleasant feeling, turning to its source with her eyes closed, blindly reaching for his hand.

“You should be sleeping,” she scolded lightly. “We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep,” Luke explained, as Lottie opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the dark. “It’s so weird to actually see it on you.”

Lottie dropped her eyes to the thing that had drawn Luke’s attention, the cerulean pendant draped against her bare skin.

“Well,” Lottie said playfully. “Better get used to it, because I ain’t takin’ it off.”

“Never?” Luke asked.

“Nope,” Lottie said, shaking her head as she strained just so to kiss him. “Never.”

“Good,” Luke replied, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her head on his chest, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	2. 80's Comedown Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pazima and Lottie deal with the aftermath of addiction. Wedge and Pazima's relationship remains as enigmatic and unconventional as ever.

**_3 ABY; ECHO BASE, HOTH; DURING THE EVENTS OF NOWHERE TO RUN_ **

* * *

 

Wedge barely had time to even blink when he caught Lottie storming into the ship bay out of the corner of his eye, rapidly approaching his side.

“Lottie?!” he asked, turning to her. “What’s wro-”

She swiftly cut him off with a punch straight to his mouth, Wedge tasting blood and bone immediately.

“Holy Gods, Lottie!” he cried, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, not necessarily surprised to see a crimson streak show up. “I think you knocked out a tooth.”

“Good,” Lottie said confidently, crossing her arms and setting her weight on one foot. “Now, tell me why the fuck I just caught my sister shooting up deathsticks in her arm.”

“What?!” Wedge said, nearly dropping the tooth he had pulled out of his mouth and examined between his fingers. “She’s on deathsticks again?!”

“Don’t act surprised, Wedge, you sleep next to her every night.”

“I don’t,” Wedge protested. “There’s two beds in that room, Lottie, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“What kind of people in love don’t sleep next to each other?” Lottie said, with almost a hint of innocence. Wedge fended off the pitying smile for the person who had just knocked a tooth out of his mouth; she was so very old, and yet so very young.

“We don’t. And I wouldn’t say we’re  _ in love. _ ”

Lottie blinked in surprise. “Wha-I mean, you have sex with each other.”

This time, Wedge couldn’t fight the grin. “People don’t need to love each other to have sex with each other. You worked in a brothel, for Gods’ sake, you should know this.”

“Yeah, but you have sex  _ all the time, _ ” Lottie insisted.

“You’re sister’s hot,” Wedge said simply, waving to Wes as he eyed the scene with interest.

“Wow, Wedge, usually when they find out about Pazima they just slap you, not punch you,” Wes said leerily. “Although, Lottie, I gotta say, you slept with Wedge and didn’t know about him and your sister? That’s pretty stupid.”

“I would rather stick a firecracker up my own vagina than sleep with the sack of small-dicked shit that is Wedge Antilles, or you. Now go before I knock your tooth out too,” Lottie threatened, Wes retreating in protest.

“Back to the matter at hand,” Wedge said, still rubbing the bruise that was forming on his lip. “Pazima. Drugs. What’s going on?”

“I caught her literally sticking a needle of deathsticks up her own arm, Wedge, now please entertain me with a reason as to why you wouldn’t have known.”

“I didn’t, I swear,” Wedge explained. “Lottie, I swear to you on her life, I didn’t. I suspected something was up, actually, but I thought it was menopause.”

“Menopause? Wedge, are you kidding me? She’s thirty-five, not fifty!”

“I don’t know when y’all go through that!” Wedge protested. “She’s on birth control anyways, it’s not like she actually has...y’know.”

“Cycles, Wedge? Yes, I am aware. Well, luckily for you, your excuse is so stupidly typical Wedge that I actually believe you.”

“It’s the truth!” Wedge insisted.

“Unfortunately, I know,” Lottie said, rolling her eyes as she turned from him to type a message on her comm. “Go get cleaned up and get a new tooth, I need to deal with her.”

* * *

 

“Good morning! Or should I say, good morning to me. I’d wager your morning will be shitty as ever.”

Pazima opened a bleary eye to her sister drinking tea out of a dirty mug, propped up on a dresser. She could just make out the word “Tatooine” as the young girl raised the mug to her lips, an eyebrow similarly cocked as she examined the Reynard sister lying on the bed.

Pazima went to scratch her eye, only to meet resistance as her hand tried to move a few centimeters. She looked at the source of it and groaned, rolling her eyes at her sister as the metal scratched her hand.

“Handcuffs, really?” she groaned, the younger woman shaking her head.

“Spare me,” she said. “Yup, handcuffs. I can’t trust you to not try and escape, or get more where that came from.”

Pazima followed her gaze to see the pile of drugs and needles stashed in the center of the bedroom, in the no-man’s land between Lottie and Luke’s bed. The overwhelming pink and light of the bed directly opposite of the one she was currently lying in nearly made her go blind, shutting her eyes in protest.

“Too bad it’s evidence,” Lottie mused, walking over and kicking a bag of deathsticks with her foot. “I could make a fortune with this.”

“How long have I been out?” Pazima asked, ignoring Lottie’s voice. She knew that a lecture was coming, and soon-Lottie was all but boiling over. And if she was honest with herself, she deserved it. Doesn’t mean that Lottie needed to explode just this yet.

“About twelve hours,” Lottie explained, reassuming her perch on Luke’s dresser. “You feel pretty good now, but, you know what’s coming.” Lottie punctuated her words with an ominous sip of tea, noting Pazima’s form on the bed. “You haven’t even started to sweat yet.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Pazima spat, more out of fear and loathing than genuine anger, attempting to turn away from Lottie’s knowing, piercing glaze.

“Fuck me? Really. Is that what you said every time you injected that shit into your bloodstream, because I sure hope it was. And trust me, Pazima, the feeling’s mutual right now.”

“If you can just-”

“Don’t even start with me,” Lottie said, cutting off her sister’s attempt to beg.

“Lottie, just a little bit, it helps stave off the symptoms, trust me, I’ve done it-”

“Really?! Really. Trust you. After going behind my back and fucking my whole life over for, need I remind you, the  _ third  _ fucking time. Funnily enough, I’m pretty experienced in sobering you up.”

Pazima turned to her sister helplessly, the girl almost red with rage as she glared back. “C’mon, Lottie. You know I can’t help it-”

“Oh, you’re such a fucking victim, aren’t you?” Lottie said, her voice almost screaming as she got up to pace the room. “A victim of a stupid fucking decision  _ you made,  _ remember? Gods in heaven, do you ever think of  _ anyone  _ but yourself?” Lottie ran a hand through her thick red hair. Pazima noted the dark circles under her sister’s makeup-free eyes, their hazel hue conveying an age beyond her nineteen years as she looked back at her.

“Lottie, I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “You don’t deserve me.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” Lottie agreed, coming back to her sister’s side. “I deserve a lot of shit, but this isn’t fucking one of them.”

“I just saw them, and I thought-”

“Don’t tell me what you thought. It’s the same thing everytime, you  _ thought  _ you control it, you remember how they made you feel, you wanted them to improve your shooting, whatever your excuse is, it isn’t good enough.”

“I know,” Pazima admitted. “And I’m sorry, Lottie, I really am. You shouldn’t have to go through this.”

“Again, you’re right,” Lottie said, back turned to her sister. “But here I am, wading through the shit again, so I’m going fucking though it.”

“Are you ever gonna forgive me?” Pazima croaked, tears welling in her eyes, as she tried to tug on the hem of her sister’s shirt. She briefly thought of how pathetic this was.  _ She  _ was the older one, and yet here Lottie was, scolding her and yelling as Pazima braced for yet another oncoming storm of sobriety symptoms.

“You’re my sister,” Lottie said quietly. “It’s in the job description.”

“Thank you,” Pazima breathed. “You know how much I love you, Lottie. You’re a good woman.”

Lottie turned from her sister’s attempt to graze her fingers, instead walking to the foot of the bed. “Who sold these to you?” Lottie said, pointing at the pile of drugs in the middle of the room.

“What?”

“Who sold them, I need a name. Because in case you forgot, you decided to get addicted again right as a crazy gang leader wants to kill us.”

“Mason. Londre Mason. They live on the opposite wing, room 13B. There’s three roommates. They don’t know about the drugs.”

“Good,” Lottie said. “Is that it now? Anything else you want to tell me.”

Pazima shook her head. “That’s all I know.”

“Good,” she repeated. “Now, you know what’s about to happen. And you’re going to be off all your pills for a while. Birth control, painkillers, everything. I’m not risking it.”

“Make Wedge wear a condom, got it,” Pazima said, a lazy attempt at a joke as Lottie recoiled.

“Ew, Pazima. As I was saying. I’ll decide when you’re going back on them. I don’t have work for a few hours, and I can get Luke to pull a few strings to watch you while I’m gone.”

“Thank you, Lottie,” Pazima said weakly. “For watching me.”

Lottie sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her sister. “Yeah, you’re welcome,” she said quietly. “Pazima, I need you to realize something. You’re body-it’s-well,  _ weak  _ isn’t the right word, it’s, erm,  _ very  _ addicted to drugs. The dosage you were taking was well above fifteen times the typical dosage for a high.”

“I know,” Pazima said. “That dose doesn’t work for me.”

“If you ever do this again, I may not be able to save you,” Lottie said solemnly. “Fifteen times that dosage for someone my size is well above lethal. You’re lucky to be alive.”

“I know,” Pazima said, giving a weak smile as she felt the familiar craving tingle up her nerves, focusing on squeezing her sister’s hand. “I’m very lucky.”

* * *

 

Pazima awoke again sometime later, shivering in her own sweat, turning to find Lottie, only to see Wedge next to her, filling up the room with smoke.

“Hey,” he said gently. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like shit,” she muttered. “Isn’t it a horrible idea to smoke next to someone who’s trying to sober up?”

Wedge shrugged. “Lottie didn’t say anything about smoking. Besides, she’s sound asleep, she can’t scold me. So is, in fact, Luke.” He cocked his head towards the opposite side of the room, where Lottie and Luke were soundly asleep in a tangle of limbs, Lottie’s head resting in his lap. “Cute, isn’t it?” Wedge commented.

“Disgusting,” Pazima replied, attempting to grab the covers with her shackled hands. “Can you uncuff me so I can pull up this fucking bedsheet?”

“No can do,” Wedge said simply. “Lottie gave strict orders.”

“Of course she did,” Pazima said, a mixture of pride and contempt in her voice. “Will you at least pull them up for me?”

“Sure, darling,” Wedge said sarcastically, obliging with the cigarra stuck between his teeth.

“This is already probably one of the lowest points in my life, now you have to call me ‘darling’ too?” Pazima said.

“I live to please,” Wedge said. “Pazima, you’ve gotta do something,” he said, suddenly serious.

“Something about what? C’mon, Wedge, I’m shackled to a bed and waking up in cold sweats and all I want are some fucking deathsticks. I can’t do  _ anything. _ ”

“Exactly,” Wedge said. “You have to sober up. For real this time. Not for me, but for her.”

Wedge’s nod of his head guided Pazima’s eyes again to her peacefully sleeping sister, humming just so as her small vined hand wrapped possessively around Luke’s torso.

“I know,” Pazima said quietly. “Everything good about her life, I fucked up.”

“Please,” Wedge snorted. “She didn’t have anything good about her life when you found her, much less when I met her. We gave her good things, but along with that came all of our baggage too. She’s too grown up for a nineteen year old.”

Pazima nodded. “She’s always been that way. Ever since I met her. Ever since I  _ saw  _ her,” she added, her mind filtering back to visiting the Horrificus compound, laying eyes on the prodigious redheaded dancer. “But you’re right. I don’t know if we bettered her life or ruined it.”

“Whatever we did, we can try now. Actually give a shit,” Wedge said. “We’re the only types of parents she has, and neither of us have done a good job. Me too, Pazima,” he said, taking a drag of his cigarra and looking at it. “I was the one who gave her her first cigarra.”

“She met me coming down from an overdose,” Pazima said, glancing again at her sister. “I’m going back to bed,” she added, after a moment.

“Alright,” Wedge said. “Good night.”

“Yeah, you too,” Pazima muttered, shutting her eyes in an attempt to sleep, focusing on Lottie’s even breathing as her mind drifted.


	3. The Rain Song-Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Traditions abound. Lottie gets a new name.

_**4 ABY; [CLASSIFIED LOCATION]; IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENTS OF PILEDRIVER WALTZ** _

* * *

 

Lottie greeted the morning cold, pulling the blankets up to her chest and snuggling deeper into them before blindly searching for the usual source of heat on her left side.

“Morning,” he said cheerily, and Lottie’s eyes fluttered open to see him pulling a cotton shirt over his head. “My alarm went off a few minutes ago, I need to start the landing sequence soon.”

“Mmm,” she muttered, sitting up in the bed and pulling the cover over her chest, running her hand through her tangled hair. “What time is it?”

“Just around 0800,” Luke said, his voice several times above his usual cheerfulness, scuffling as he slipped shoes on his feet.

Lottie’s face settled into a pout. Luke was, on most occasions, a morning person, and she was not, content to lie in bed if she could. “Come back to bed,” Lottie whined lazily, patting the space next to her. “We don’t have to go to the judge’s for a while.”

“Yes,” Luke said, approaching her as he buttoned his shirt, “but I do have to make sure this ship doesn’t crash.” As he kissed her, Lottie stroked her fingertips delicately against his freshly-shaved cheek, enjoying the feel of his soft skin under hers.

“Get dressed, we have a lifetime for whatever you want to do after,” he said, pulling away just slightly with a smirk on his face. “First, we have to get married.”

“Saving yourself for marriage, are you?” Lottie said, pointing her finger at Luke as he walked toward the door, laughing at her accusitoral tone. “Good thing I won’t have long to wait.”

“That’s right. We’re getting married today,” he replied, that insatiable smile returning to his face as he poked his head out of the door, leaving it propped just so as he went to the cockpit.

“We’re getting married today,” Lottie repeated to herself, sighing as she closed her eyes and threw her head back on the pillow, feeling her own mouth mimicking Luke’s. “We’re actually getting fucking married.”

* * *

Lottie had only had an official romantic relationship with Luke, at best, and yet the feeling in her body, a mixture of nervous anticipation, excitement, and giddy love was totally new as she sat holding hands with Luke. They hadn’t been able to keep their hands off of each other the whole morning, whether it was walking in the street or pulling the boat in or making lunch. Pulling apart from him for the brief moments she had to was an agonizing chore.

 _I’m getting married today._ She smiled up at Luke, who only squeezed her hand tighter in response, her foot bouncing against the wooden leg of the waiting room chair.

“NEXT!” An older, exhausted-looking Human woman called to them from the counter across from them, her blond hair clashing horribly with the pea green of the walls. She shouted above the deluge happening just outside, thunderbolts making the building positively shake around them.

“That’s us,” Luke whispered, squeezing her hand again as he got up from the chair.

Lottie strode purposefully with him to the counter, a grin enveloping her face as she began to speak. “We want to get married.”

Lottie stood on her toes just slightly to see over the wooden counter at the mainland’s judges office. She spoke with confidence, even as the old Human manning the desk raised her eyebrows at her general appearance. Lottie’s hair was matted and damp from the rain, along with Luke’s, her grimy shirt clinging to her body.

“Are you even _old_ enough to get married?”

“I’m twenty,” she said proudly. “And he’s twenty-three. That’s perfectly legal in most planets, and I know for a fact this one doesn’t abide by Imperial laws.”

“Right,” the woman said skeptically. “Do you happen to have _any_ credentials?”

“Listen, we’re not just in here for refuge from the rain,” Luke said frustratedly, jerking his head towards the weather just outside of the tiny building, rain hitting the windows with an almost violent speed. “If you could just give us a document that we can show our superiors, that’d be great.”

“Superiors,” the woman repeated, giving both of them a knowing look. “Right. I’ll be right back.”

“Shit,” Luke muttered, turning to Lottie as she slammed her back against the counter. “Is she gonna call the Imperials?”

“Not likely,” she said, taking a sidelong glance towards the storeroom, where the woman was talking to what she assumed was the judge. “If she does, we cut and run. I’m just guessing she doesn’t want to be known as the woman who gives Luke Skywalker his marriage license.”

“Why not?”

“Your name has probably reached places like this, I doubt the Battle of Endor has-fuck, she’s coming back. With her boss.” Lottie straightened out her shirt in an attempt to look as presentable as possible, only briefly noticing that her black sports bra was clinging to her damp t-shirt and showing through its light blue fabric.

“Alright,” the lady said again. “We’ll give you a marriage license. But quickly. I’m not in the business of marrying criminals.”

“Thank you,” Luke said gratefully, nodding both to her and her Togruta superior who had returned with her. “Thank you so much. What do we have to do?”

“Well, you just need to sign both of your legal names on this piece of paper here-”

“Paper?” Lottie raised an eyebrow. That was rare-and expensive.

“Yes, since we’re outside of Imperial jurisdiction, I’m afraid this is the only way.”

“That’s alright,” Lottie said quickly. “So, sign our names, and that’s it? No blood tests, or anything?”

“Why the hell would there be a blood test?” The woman shook her head at Lottie. “Listen, just sign the damn paper.”

“Alright, lady, Gods,” Lottie said, taking the paper from her and clicking the pen on the side of the table. Suddenly, her mind swam in panic-of course her marriage license was going to be in Basic, why hadn’t she thought of that before?

“Luke,” she muttered quickly, Luke appearing at her side.

“You’re right there,” he said, pointing to the bottom left corner and a dotted line. “So this is perfectly legal and binding, right? Aside from all Imperial systems?”

“Yes.”

“And what about my name change?” Lottie said, looking up as she handed the pen to Luke. Her name was one of the few things she could spell in Basic, a mess of loopy cursive. “I’d like to change my last name to.”

“That’d be this second sheet,” the woman said, procuring yet another long legal form for Lottie to sign. “How many name changes have you had?”

“Just the one,” Lottie said, before catching herself. “This one, I mean. This’d be my first one.”

“Alright then,” the woman said skeptically. “And what’ll you be changing it to?”

“Skywalker,” Lottie said quickly, gulping as she turned to Luke. The name caused even the silent Togruta to look up in interest.

“So you’ll be-”

“Charlotte Skywalker.”

“I’ll need you to spell that please.”

“S-k-y-w-a-l-k-e-r,” Luke chimed in helpfully.

“Alright, you’re all set, Mr. and Mrs. Skywalker,” the Togruta spoke finally, handing them the papers with his official signature and seal. “Congratulations.”

“Wait, seriously?” Lottie said, taking the papers and folding them to put in her bag. “We’re married now? Legally?”

“Yes,” the woman groaned, as the Togruta slinked back to his office. “Now will you please get out? I swear, people who want to launder money are more bearable than Rebel officers.”

* * *

 

“WE’RE MARRIED!”

Lottie watched as Luke shouted and ran off the boat just docked at her house, running straight into the rain and mud, jumping up and down and spinning gleefully in circles, making Lottie burst out in laughter.

“Luke!” she called, drawing his name out as she continued to laugh, tying the heavy rope into a knot around the post. “You’re gonna catch a cold!”

“I don’t care!” he called back, turning his head upwards and extending his arms, letting the rain fall on his face. “I’m married.”

“ _I_ care,” Lottie said, running out to meet him. “You sniffling on our honeymoon won’t do at-mmm.” She stopped talking as Luke kissed her, hard, picking her up and swinging her around.

“We’re married,” he said with disbelief, letting Lottie’s feet hit the ground. “We’re actually married.”

“I know,” Lottie beamed, her entire face glowing with giddiness as she kissed him again, Luke’s hand wrapping in her damp hair. “I love you,” she said as they broke apart, her forehead resting on his.

“I love you,” he repeated. “Wife,” he added, one corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

“Husband,” Lottie said, separating a bit from him and holding his arms, her eyes tracing over his chest before looking at him again. “Although, you know, in my culture, a piece of paper may make it legal, but it doesn’t make a marriage.”

“Mine too,” Luke said, raising an eyebrow. “So, you wanna get married again? For real, this time?”

“Oh, Luke, can we?” Lottie pleaded, shaking him just so. “It’ll only take a moment.”

“Of course,” Luke said. Lottie grinned into his kiss, throwing her arms around his neck. “But, I think we ought to get in the house first.”

Lottie shrieked in surprise as he picked her up, one arm nestled at the crook of her knees and the other around her back as her arms remained around his neck. She could feel his laugh at her surprise, nestled against his chest as he carried her into the house.

* * *

 

Lottie turned to examine herself in the dirty full-length mirror. She had chosen the only dress that actually fit her to wear for her wedding, a pale sage green with flowing silk and short sleeves, the low neck accenting her new jewelry. She twirled the loose hair by her ears, the rest of it piled up in two braids at the top of her head, the only fancy hairstyle she could pull off without Pazima’s talented fingers. Just the ends were wet-by some miracle, the old dryer still worked and her hair, damp from rain and the shower, had dried-just. Per her sister’s so often request, her makeup was light-just a bit of green glitter and eyeliner around the eyes.

She thought wistfully to Pazima, tracing the roses on her wrist. She couldn’t picture Pazima even getting married, much less approving of her sister’s own wedding, but she had always suspected Luke could have been an exception. Pazima had a strict serious-date-only-in-the-Fox-Squadron rule, and lucky for Lottie, the only eligible male that had been privy to her secrets was Luke. And Pazima had liked him well enough.

Her parents, well, that was a different story. Vincent would have been okay with the match, he was an outsider of Horrificus himself, after all. Lel, however, probably would not have been as approving; he was dead set on her marrying Camlo Carson as soon as she came of marriageable age. Even if that hadn’t panned out, a marriage within Horrificus was the only option for him.

But maybe not, she mused. She was happy with Luke, extremely happy. Maybe Lel could have appreciated that. In any case, she would never know. They were all gone, and she had to make her own decisions without them.

“Lottie? You okay in there?” Luke called, knocking on the bedroom door on the other side of the bathroom.

“I’ll be out in just a moment,” she called back.

She took a deep breath, smoothing out her dress over her abdomen before opening the door and continuing to the living room, where Luke stood in his dress robes, the crackling fireplace just barely edging out the sound of the rain, a thundercrack booming just as she stepped foot onto the creaky wood of the living room.

“Wow,” Luke breathed, glancing up and down Lottie as she blushed under his gaze. Despite herself, she gave a twirl, showing off the fluidity of the fabric. “You look amazing,” he said, as she gave him a smile.

“Thanks,” she said meekly. “Pazima picked it out for me. She says-said-green goes with my hair and eyes.”

“She did a good job,” Luke noted, extending a hand to her. “Come here to me, wife, and let’s get married for real.”

Lottie giggled, finally taking in a look at her husband. He was handsome in a dark blue, almost black suit of robes, matching with his light blue eyes just so, a small cravat of white adorning his neck.

“Did you wear that to that ball on Corellia?” Lottie asked, her memory coming back to her. “The one where Wedge made me wear that silly dress with the giant skirt?”

“I thought you liked that dress,” Luke said, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I liked looking at _you_ in that suit,” Lottie corrected, making Luke blush. “The skirt was so fucking hard to dance in.”

“Thank you, I guess?”

“You’re very welcome,” Lottie said, following Luke’s lead as he knelt near a small table, set up with the water, glasses, and knife previously requested. “Should we go for your ceremony first? I mean, I’m pretty sure you won’t want to get blood in this water.”

Luke drew back slightly. “That’s what the knife’s for?”

“What did you think it was for, fun tricks and dancing?”

“Well, I’d hope,” Luke joked, but then saw Lottie’s almost disappointed face. “I’m only joking,” he added.

“I know,” Lottie said sweetly. “Don’t worry, it’s just a small cut. Water,” she said quickly, pointing to the glasses. “Tell me about this water.”

“Okay, well, this is pretty easy. You just pour water into the communal cup, and we both drink from it. It’s cause, well, water’s so rare-”

“No, I get it,” Lottie said. “That’s it? No vows?”

“No vows,” Luke repeated. “Usually we have a priest or holy man bless it, but as there’s none around, we’ll skip that bit.”

“Oh. You’re going to have to say some Coruscanti later, I’m sorry about that.”

“That’s alright,” Luke said jovially. “Ready?”

Lottie nodded, and Luke motioned for her to follow his hand as they poured their respective cups of water into the third. Luke took the cup first, not breaking eye contact with Lottie as he raised the glass to her.

“To you, Charlotte Skywalker,” he said with a grin, drinking about about half of it before passing it to her. She followed suit, brushing her fingers with his as she took the glass from him

“To you as well, Luke Skywalker,” she repeated, finishing the glass before setting it down on the table.

“Now mine,” Lottie said, extending her arm. “We cut identical scars into each other’s wrist, then we join hands and then you’ll repeat after me.” Lottie pointed to her left wrist, already adorned with vines and a prison number and roses. “Just there,” Lottie said, tracing a line on the right side of it.

Luke nodded, taking the knife from the table and letting his chest rise and fall with heavy breaths.

“Lottie, are you sure?” he said softly, Lottie only nodding.

“I trust you,” she breathed. Luke nodded again, and she closed her eyes, absorbing the pain as she felt the knife cut through her skin, the warm blood already dripping down her wrist.

She wondered how her parents had felt during their ceremony. Images flooded her mind of what it could have looked like, elaborate tapestries hanging the tent, both of them in their colorful robes, kneeling as they both performed the ultimate act of trust and bonding with their partner.

“I’m done,” Luke said, Lottie opening her eyes as she saw the long cut down her wrist, smiling even as tears stung her eyes. “You okay?”

“Yes Luke,” she whispered, laughing as she wiped the wet tears from her cheeks. “Yes, I’m perfect.”

“Are you thinking of your parents?” he asked delicately, Lottie nodding. “I’m thinking of my aunt and uncle too,” he said wistfully.

He stuck out his right arm, motioning for her to take the knife. “My turn,” he said, taking deep breaths as he smiled at Lottie. “I trust you, he repeated.”

“This will only sting a bit, I promise,” Lottie said, giving him her left hand to hold as she cut into his wrist quickly. Luke’s hand reflexively curled around hers, wincing and drawing breath at the pain, his eyes similarly closed. Lottie’s experienced hands finished the cut quickly, putting the knife down with a clang.

“Okay, I’m done,” she said. “Sorry about that,” she added.

“No, don’t apologize,” Luke said reassuringly, examining the cut. “If that’s all I have to go through to get married to you, I got off easy.”

Lottie chuckled. “Now comes the hard part,” she joked. “Just repeat these words after me as best you can.” She put her hand over Luke’s forearm, their scars matching perfectly. She wrapped the scarf around them, once, twice, three times.

“Will you help me tie this,” Lottie asked, holding up the loose end of the scarf.

“Sure,” Luke obliged, their hands working together to tie a basic knot.

“Now,” Lottie said. “The vows. You ready?”

Luke nodded. “Of course.”

 _“Mo fang mo lio suid a tuit, aesne, corhlacht, egus anam.”_ Lottie felt her voice shake at those words, rehearsed among little girls and boys playing at adults, overheard at weddings, rattling around her brain for years.

Luke took a deep breath, and Lottie nodded in encouragement as he began to speak. “ _Mo fang mo lio suid a tuit, aesne, corhlacht, egus anam.”_ Lottie smiled as his mouth formed the words. For someone who had never spoken Coruscanti in his life, he did a good job, his voice capturing both the necessary harshness and fluidity. Only their arms conjoined, the feeling of both of the cuts on top of each other, the sound of the rain nearly drowning out their voices, grounded her to reality.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and opening them as she finished the vow. _“Mo parcomphaire dai trud, dai voul, egus ana dehaidh mas, mo briaum.”_

 _“Mo parcomphaire dai trud, dai voul, egus ana dehaidh mas, mo briaum.”_ Luke finished the words without hesitation, breaking out into a huge grin as Lottie sighed in relief.

“You did great,” Lottie said, untying their wrists. “You speak it like a natural.”

“I do?” Luke asked, Lottie nodding.

“ _Ouea, mo feri,”_ she said playfully, throwing the dirty scarf into the fire.

“And what does that mean?” Luke asked.

“Yes, my husband,” Lottie translated, reaching up to caress his cheek, her thumb stroking his cheekbone.

Luke pulled her in for a kiss, and that was the only response Lottie needed in a language they both understood perfectly, newly scarred hands tangled between each other’s bodies. Lottie gave out a shaky laugh as they broke apart, throwing her arms around Luke, happy tears threatening to spill over as she buried her face in his neck.

“I love you, wife,” he whispered into her hair, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“I love you too, husband,” she whispered back. “So much.”


	4. The Rain Song-Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Translations are made and love declared.

“You know, Luke, you don’t have to carry me _everywhere,_ ” Lottie said, mock-whining as she stroked one of Luke’s cheeks with the tips of her fingers, smiling as he held her in his arms.

“It would be _extremely_ rude, and bad luck, for me to not carry my bride into our bedroom on our wedding,” Luke said gallantly, putting her down as her feet landed with a soft _thud._

“Oh?” Lottie said, raising an eyebrow as Luke sat on the bed to undo the laces on his shoes, crossing her arms. “I think it’s bad luck for it to rain on your wedding day. Or so I’ve heard,” Lottie added, glancing at the large window to her left, still pouring with rain.

“Surprisingly, we don’t have legends about rain occurring naturally on your wedding day on Tatooine, but if it happened, I think you’d have the best luck in the world,” Luke said with a half smile, glancing up at Lottie as she continued to observe the outside, rubbing her healing wound on her left arm.

Besides the actual wedding, the rest of the night had continued extremely domestically, Lottie making a rich stew out of the scraps she had left in her fridge before leaving two weeks before, drinking leftover wine and talking, something she never found herself tiring of with Luke. And now she found herself watching her husband- _her husband_ -take off his shoes and socks at the edge of the bed, as if this was a totally normal day. And it would be, she realized, for the foreseeable future.

“Read me the marriage license,” she said, crossing over and sitting next to him, her legs touching his as she squeezed his forearm.

“Alright,” Luke said, pulling the folded piece of paper out of his pocket, wrapping an arm around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as he read aloud, his voice smooth, like that of an orator.

“To the recipients of this letter, I hereby grant you the state of marriage by the power vested in me via the Force-”

“The Force?!” Lottie interrupted, looking quizzical.

“Yes, apparently they believe in the Force here,” Luke said, before continuing. “-The two people signed agree to love each other and live as spouses together until death. The indicated person also takes on the name of their spouse henceforth being known as Charlotte Skywalker. Signed, Charlotte Reynard and Luke Skywalker,” he finished, giving her a lingering kiss before standing to place it safely in the bedside drawer. “And the vows?” he added, turning to Lottie as she raised her eyebrows.

“Huh?”

“Your vows. What do they mean?”

“Oh,” she said, a smile creeping up on her face. “I think they translate to; I promise and pledge myself to you, mind, body and soul. My partner in everything, in life, and beyond death, my love,” Lottie said, her voice warbling just a bit on the last words as she looked up at Luke.

“Wow,” Luke said, his voice slightly above a whisper. “I’m glad I said them.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you did too,” Lottie said, her dress pulling up just slightly as she leaned farther back into the bed.

“Wha-you’re wearing them?!” Luke took a look at Lottie’s feet, adorned with the pastel pink slippers he had gifted to her on Hoth, an early birthday present before Luke had left for Dagobah, and Lottie forced into a much different fate.

“Mmm-hmm,” she hummed cheerily, dangling and swinging her feet over the edge of the bed. “First time, too. They’re so beautiful,” she said, almost nostalgic as she examined them. “Too bad they’ll get ruined if I dance in them.”

“That’s okay,” Luke said, undoing the tie at his neck as he bent ever so slightly to examine them, Lottie lifting up just the hem of her long green dress. “I’d rather you dance in them and use them then stay perfect. That’s the point, after all.”

“You don’t want me to keep them nice?” Lottie asked.

“No,” Luke said, shaking his adamantly. “I’d much rather see you dance-you’re beautiful and graceful and well, it’s what you were meant to do.”

Lottie was taken aback by his words, said as if they were the most obvious thing in the world, his view on her life’s purpose so different from others.

“Oh?” Lottie said softly, her voice almost involuntarily dropping an octave. “And what else am I meant to do?”

“Whatever you want,” Luke said.

“Well, I do mean to go to bed tonight,” Lottie said quietly, the air in the cold room suddenly growing thick. “And I doubt I should sleep in these. Will you help me?” She stuck a slippered foot out of her skirts, Luke nodding silently, falling to his knees and moving in front of her, gently taking her left foot in his hands.

Lottie watched him as he undid the carefully laced ribbons extending to the middle of her left calf with care, his eyes furrowed in focus as he delicately undid them with a crook of his index finger, slipping off the shoe with ease. She was surprised he didn’t recoil at her foot-toes oddly shaped and warped from years of cramming into tiny dance slippers-instead moving onto her right foot. Lottie assumed he must have heard her slight intakes of breath even as the rain continued to pour, but he didn’t show it. Lottie pointedly lifted the fabric of her dress just higher, the scratch of the fabric against her smooth legs causing Luke to stop briefly, not looking at her just yet. Her wanting didn’t deter him from his duties, instead only continuing his painfully slow removal of her slipper until it was completely off.

He lay the shoes next to the edge of the bed, finally looking up at Lottie, who found herself short of breath as she gazed into his eyes, the blue darker than she remembered. He parted her legs slowly, her dress only moving up higher, revealing the pale skin beneath. Luke traced every inch of it with his hands, rough and purposeful as he settled himself between her legs, her knees just grazing his torso as he reached up to bring her closer to him.

The kiss was languid and long, Luke’s thumbs rubbing slow circles on the soft flesh of her thighs. Lottie felt her entire body warm at her husband’s touch, the heat touching the inside of her skin as he moved purposefully. She let out a girlish, high hum as Luke continued his ministrations, moving a hand to grip the back of his hair, mouths just briefly grazing each other’s.

Lottie couldn’t take it anymore; her hands grabbed the waistband of his trousers, intending to pull him on top of her, but Luke resisted.

“No,” he said, his voice deep as he took her hands from him, kissing the inside of her wrists as he looked at her with hooded eyes, “I want to make this last.”

Lottie moaned as Luke kissed her neck, moving her head back to grant him better access even as he moved agonizingly slowly, finally giving into Lottie’s impatience as he lifted her from the bed, her legs still wrapped around him, his hands at her hips. He moved them to the foot of the bed, not taking his lips off hers as her hands worked quickly at the buttons on his dress shirt.

It was Luke’s turn to groan as her hands slipped just under his shirt, stroking the muscles there. He let her down, finally content to let her finish what she started. Instead of continuing at her quick pace, however, she slowed her movements with a smirk. She removed his clothing with the same amount of focus he had, brushing away his attempts to touch her with her elbow and a knowing laugh. Luke held up his hands in defeat, willing to let his wife do as she would. She let his shirt hang open for just a moment, running her hands along his abdomen, admiring him until she roughly pulled him towards her with the end of his shirt, her lips colliding with his in a bruising kiss.

Suddenly, any semblance of taking things slowly between the lovers was lost, Luke working furiously to take off his shirt behind his back as Lottie kissed him, finally wrapping his hands in her hair, accidentally tugging it just a little harder than he meant to, Lottie letting out a high-pitched whine in response.

“Sorry,” Luke said quickly, resting his hands on her cheeks.

“No, it’s okay,” Lottie said in a breathy whisper. “I-I liked it,” she admitted, after a moment. “Keep going.”

“Oh,” Luke replied, caught off guard just a bit by her confession, before obliging, kissing her again, letting his hands go to her waist as her palms rested flat on his chest, eventually snaking down to the sides of his abdomen, rubbing the ridge of his pelvis with her thumbs. The action spurred Luke to resume their frantic pace, motioning to move her to lay on the bed, before her hands suddenly went flat.

“Luke, wait,” she said, her voice breathless.

“What?” Luke asked, similarly struggling to regain his breath.

“My dress,” she said, almost apologetically, “There’s a zipper on the side and then you have to lift it up,” she explained, lifting her arms up and turning to her side to demonstrate. “I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Neither do I,” Luke said, kissing her tenderly, Lottie’s eyes closing as she felt herself light up again at his every touch. “You look so beautiful,” he said, his voice an almost reverent whisper, before moving to undo the zipper carefully, revealing her colorful tattoo on her side, broken up by blush-pink lace. Luke looked at Lottie with an inquisitive expression on his face, Lottie only motioning for him to continue.

Luke gingerly lifted the dress, the green silk flowing water against his fingers, not touching Lottie as he removed it, letting it float gracefully to the floor. He stepped back for a moment, Lottie standing in front of him, breasts heaving as she yet again felt breathless under his gaze.

She was wearing a delicate lace bodysuit in her favorite shade of pink, flowery details standing out starkly against her pale skin, interrupting her tattoos and scars. The neckline went just beyond her ribs, framing her long necklace perfectly. Strands of hair, pulled out of her elaborate hairstyle by Luke’s attentions, curled just so, mixing with the tiny strands of the halter and looping lazily around the tops of her breasts.

“Well?” Lottie said, raising an eyebrow and putting her hands at her hips, gazing at Luke, who stood farther from her than he had all evening. “What do you think?”

“What do I _think_?” Luke asked, the corner of his mouth twitching, giving away his answer. “What is it?” he asked honestly, looking at her up and down before taking a step towards her.

“It’s lingerie,” Lottie explained, giving a shake of her head at Luke’s candor. “It’s reserved, for, ahem, special occasions,” Lottie said, feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she coughed.

“Oh?” Luke said, raising an eyebrow as a playful smile lit up on his face, continuing to move slowly towards her. “Where did you get it?”

“Pazima took me shopping when I was eighteen,” Lottie explained, jittering on one foot. “I haven’t been, erm, _inclined_ to wear them since I bought them,” she added.

“Nadezhda Dorchester,” Luke said, Lottie feeling goosebumps rake her skin at the use of her real name, “are you blushing?”

“Yes,” Lottie said, her voice barely above a whisper, lightning crackling outside their window as Luke finally reached her, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. She had never seen Luke look at her like that, smiling, knowing, loving, sensuous, as if he saw past her into her very soul. “I think I might melt,” she said honestly, her voice keening with her girlish, high-pitched lilt as she gazed up at him.

“Don’t worry,” Luke said, grazing her bottom lip with his thumb. “I think I may just melt with you.”

Lottie finally found her lips meeting his after what felt like an eternity of waiting. They kissed purposefully, as if finally, _finally,_ they were ready to acknowledge their longing for each other, ready to finally make love as husband as wife. Lottie removed his belt from his waistband, throwing it to the side as she moved backwards on the bed, Luke crawling over her, his lips never leaving hers. She undid the button on his belt, hands now skillful as Luke broke off the kiss, mouth open against hers, moaning as Lottie’s nails raked against his hips, pulling his trousers down.

“I’m assuming I don’t have to apologize?” Lottie asked teasingly.

“No,” Luke said, kissing her quickly. “Gods, no.”

“Help me out here,” Lottie instructed, jerking her head towards his pants pooling around his ankles.

Luke gave her a smiling kiss as he kneeled, Lottie watching him with a knuckle crooked in between her teeth, Luke flinging his pants toward the ever growing pile of clothes on his clothes.

“Should I just…” Luke’s voice trailed off, lowering his boxers slightly before Lottie suddenly sat up, taking his hands in hers to stop him.

“No!” she said quickly. “Allow me,” she said, her voice becoming smoother, calmer, as she slipped his boxers off of him, hands flat against his thighs before he stood, moving off of the bed to complete Lottie’s task. Lottie watched him again, eyes drinking in his naked form, tanned and lightly muscular, the scarring from Palpatine’s assault tracing gracefully against his skin. “I’ll never get used to this,” she muttered, shaking her head as he moved atop her again, his chaste smile and kiss on the nose almost making her laugh.

“Get used to what?” he asked innocently.

“You,” she whispered, pulling him for a kiss.

“You think so?” Luke asked. “Even if I get old and fat?”

“Yes, Luke,” she answered huskily, tracing a branch of his scarring with a delicate finger. “Even if you get old and fat.”

Their lips met, Lottie’s hands reaching lower, still learning his body, his new scarring forming gentle ridges on her palms. Similarly, Luke traced her own scarring, a roadmap to her body as his hand found her breast, fingers ghosting over her nipple, even the light touch causing Lottie to arch her back against him, needy from his previous attentions.

“Gods, Luke,” she moaned, reveling in his touch, “I need you so-”

Suddenly, a particularly loud crack of thunder made the entire house shake, the lamps illuminating either side of the bed going out with a loud screech.

“Power’s out,” they chorused, looking to each other’s barely visible faces before Luke gave a frustrated groan, rolling off of Lottie as she turned to him.

“Fuck,” Lottie muttered, glancing towards the window before looking again to her partner. “Well, you did say you wanted to make this last forever,” Lottie teased, Luke only playfully swatting her thigh in response.

“Do you think we still could-”

“Luke, you still have to get me out of this thing, and let me tell you, it wasn’t necessarily easy to put on,” she said, motioning to her lingerie. “Godsdammit, and that was going _so well_ too, I swear, I almost came twice without you even touching me.”

“Came?” Lottie couldn’t see it, but she could picture Luke’s exact face, nose scrunched in confusion.

“Came, you know, like orgasmed?” Lottie said, turning to him, but she could just see him shake his head. Lottie gave a smile despite herself at her husband’s naivete, and then took a breath. “Well, Luke, keep this up and you’ll find out exactly what I mean. C’mon,” she said, sitting up with a groan and giving him a pat on the chest. “We gotta get candles.”

Lottie walked over to the kitchen, opening a cupboard to find several candles hidden away. The electricity was finicky enough in the old house to require her to stock up on them, very often finding herself wandering the house with a candle in hand. She didn’t hear Luke’s footsteps behind her, shaking her head good-naturedly as she loaded every candle she could in her arms.

“Some help you are,” Lottie said as she re-entered the bedroom, putting candles on the mantelpiece.

“I was gonna help!” Luke protested, Lottie giving a snort as she lit the first candelabra with her lighter laying just nearby, five or six flames on the piece slowly re-illuminating the room.

“Sure you were,” Lottie said, her voice really containing no malice as she continued to light candles, turning to her husband as she began to put candles on their bedside tables. She gave a small giggle at his appearance. He was attractive as ever, candlelight flickering over his skin, but he had a pillow placed modestly over his groin, looking totally innocent as his eyes questioned why she was laughing, shaking her head at him.

“What?” he asked, Lottie only continuing to giggle as she placed a kiss on his forehead.

“You are the most adorable human who has ever lived,” Lottie declared, sauntering over to place a lit candle on her side of the bed.

“I’m trying to protect your virtue!” Luke proclaimed gallantly.

“My virtue, eh?” Lottie said, a smirk forming on her face as she set the candle down, crawling slowly to Luke on the bed, his arm extending just so to draw her to him. “I don’t remember you protecting it ten minutes ago,” she purred, “Or last night. Or two nights before,” she finished, reaching for the pillow and pulling it off of him, her forehead resting against Luke’s, feeling his breath shudder against her ravenous smile. He moaned again as she rolled him over on his back, her hand digging into his inner thigh, her open-mouthed, hungry kiss causing his grip in her hair to tighten.

“We need to let your hair down,” Luke said, breathless as they pulled apart. “And get you out of these clothes.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” she said, sitting up and beginning to pull pins out of her hair, before Luke stopped her, hands intertwining with hers as she looked at him, eyes large and dark in the candlelight.

“Let me do it,” he said, soft and delicate as he guided her hands to her sides. “Grab that candle and turn around, it’ll be easier for me to see from the back.”

Lottie nodded, grabbing the candle from her bedside table and turning around, holding it up to her chest as she turned, her feet planted on the wooden floor. “Does that help?” she asked, the glow from the candle illuminating the individual strands of her hair, turning them yellow.

“Yeah,” Luke said, suddenly incredibly focused at the task at hand as he slowly pulled pin after pin out of her head, finally letting her braids fall as he put the pins on the table with a metallic clang. One by one, he undid her braids, his hands pausing to run through her hair deliberately, Lottie shivering when his hands would touch her bare skin just for a moment. As each braid fell loose, he combed her hair with his hands again, smooth as the curls parted under his fingers. He moved it over one shoulder, exposing the sword tattoo on her neck. He traced it lightly before turning to the two strands around her neck, one the silver chain of her necklace, the other a pink ribbon tied neatly in a bow. “I’m assuming I untie this?” he said, Lottie nodding in response as he boldly pulled the end of the ribbon, the front of her bodysuit falling immediately, exposing her breasts to the cold night air.

“Yeah,” she said, taking a large gulp of air. “And then there’s laces again, just there,” Lottie said, hand reaching awkwardly to point to a lace-up back, beginning at the middle of her back.

“Alright,” Luke said, frowning as he attempted to work out how to go about undoing the laces. “How did you even get yourself in this in the first place?”

“Very carefully,” Lottie replied, with a laugh.

Luke inhaled, and then drew himself to untie the bow, undoing each lace with a light touch of opposite fingers, settling into a rhythm before he finished, the entire lace undoing at the small of her back. “Alright,” he said, his voice low and faint as he put the silky laces on the bedside table, eyes not leaving her. “I’m finished.”

“Right,” Lottie breathed, Luke taking the candle from her hands as she let her lingerie fall to the floor, stepping out of it as she turned to face him kneeling on the bed, running her hands through her curly hair as it fell, completely covering one breast, her mouth slightly open as he looked at her.

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” he whispered reverently, his hand tracing his collarbone, his mouth inches from hers. “I love you so much.”

“I love you,” she repeated, inhaling sharply as his finger ran down her body, skimming past the curve of her breast before reaching the tattoo on the curves of her hip bones, the matching fox she got with Pazima, a secret she had never shared before him. One hand rubbing circles there, in a place he knew would make Lottie melt under his touch, another wrapped in her hair, he moved her slowly, laying them both on the bed. They made love as it should be made-deliberately, earnestly, learning each other’s bodies, tracing each other’s scars, eyes fluttering open and closed. Lottie cried out softly as she finally reached completion, Luke not long after, both of their bodies melding together as the rain continued to pour outside, husband and wife sheltered together in the soft candlelight.


End file.
